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Erna Solberg (left) and Siv Jensen (right) has announced the new government policy platform which includes a thorium research center.

The new government in Norway has announced a plan to establish a thorium research center. This is not because commercial production of energy based on thorium is needed in Norway. Indeed, Norway is predicting an energy surplus for the next 20-30 years. But Norway holds an estimated 4 percent of the world’s thorium reserves, and politicians have been arguing whether these resources should be made accessible to the world.

The new government in Norway has announced a plan to establish a thorium research center. This is not because commercial production of energy based on thorium is needed in Norway. Indeed, Norway is predicting an energy surplus for the next 20-30 years. But Norway holds an estimated 4 percent of the world’s thorium reserves, and politicians have been arguing whether these resources should be made accessible to the world.

Erna Solberg (left) and Siv Jensen (right) has announced the new government policy platform which includes a thorium research center.

Viktor A. Wikstrom of the Institute for Energy Technology is very happy with the government plan. Wikstrom points out that investment in thorium research must be seen in a global perspective. We can not just research things that we know have an effect in Norway if we think it can be an important contribution to global climate, he says.Nils Bohmer, CEO of the international environmental non-governmental organisation Bellona, is critical of the government’s plan. He fears that thorium research can displace investment in knowledge about renewable energy. Wikstrom disagrees with Bohmer. He believes there is no doubt that nuclear power will be part of the energy mix. Then thorium could be an important contribution, he adds.Already now Norway is a forerunner in thorium research. Thor Energy, together with international partners, started testing a thorium based fuel in July this year, which we wrote about earlier here.